


It's What You'll Gain

by prettyghostboys



Series: Julie and the Phantoms Advent Calender 2020 [1]
Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Carlos is just mentioned, Day 1 - Hot Chocolate, Gen, Reggie Angst (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie-centric (Julie and The Phantoms), Takes place after season 1, its closer to light angst, its holiday times baby, jatp advent, so theyre visible and can touch things now, theyre still ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:14:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27822115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettyghostboys/pseuds/prettyghostboys
Summary: Holidays are a tough time for Reggie, but luckily his friends are there to help.Day 1 of the Advent Event - Hot Chocolate
Relationships: Alex & Carlos Molina & Julie Molina & Ray Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie, Alex & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Julie Molina & Reggie, Luke Patterson & Reggie (Julie and The Phantoms), Reggie & Reggie's Parents (Julie and The Phantoms)
Series: Julie and the Phantoms Advent Calender 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2035969
Comments: 2
Kudos: 88





	It's What You'll Gain

Wintertime was wonderful. 

Or at the very least, it was supposed to be. Reggie has seen how the holidays affect his friends, and he wished it could have even half of that same energy with him. 

Holidays brought chaos, that was something everyone could agree on. Chaos from people flooding into stores, trying to find the perfect present for their people. Chaos from trying to make the perfect dishes with the best ingredients. Everything had to be perfect, or had to be the best. 

Reggie wasn’t a fan of perfection. He didn’t understand why people couldn’t take the flaws as they came, perfect didn’t seem like an actual achievable concept to him. Perfect, simply put, was stupid. 

Everyone around him though, didn’t seem to have that same thought process, even before he died. Luke wanted their songs to be perfect, Alex wanted to be perfect for his family, Reggie’s parents wanted him to be perfect for them, too. 

He did a lot of disappointing, he knew that for a fact. That look in his parents eyes when he brought home C+ and B- averaged report cards, when he told them he was joining a band. Reggie couldn’t even count on his fingers how many times he disappointed his parents alone, and when he thought of how much he must disappoint his friends, his holiday-fueled slump nearly tripled. 

That was why he found himself lying in the loft of Julie’s garage. Holiday plans became a topic of discussion within almost every conversation and it was just barely even December, he felt overwhelmed, so as not to disturb the mood, he excused himself and came out here. To be a holiday humbug all on his own. 

He didn’t understand why he was getting so down and out about the holidays. Reggie thought about how Julie may suggest that it’s due to his folks being long gone, him missing his siblings, or just the grief of it being the first winter holiday celebration post-mortem. 

This would be his fifth winter without snow, and Reggie wasn’t too sure how to feel about it. He let the memories of his family's Midwestern holiday get-togethers flood through his head. The laughter, the love, all of his family under one roof, and sure there was the occasional fight here and there, but overall, the holiday get-togethers were the one time of year where his parents avoided fighting at all costs. 

But as much as they tried, that just meant after the holiday events the fighting would get worse for a week or two before it went back to normal. After the holidays were the only times Reggie could recall his parents specifically yelling at him, or getting physical with him. He made sure personally that it was never any of his sisters, they were all good kids, they didn’t deserve any pain or hatred. To his parents, they were perfect. 

As much as he’d like to know what happened with his parents, Reggie wished so much more to know what happened to his sisters, especially Alice, she was barely a year old when he died. He missed them all so much, and he hoped they ended up in great places, they deserved that after what they all must have put up with after Reggie left them with just their parents. 

He wasn’t sure how long he was lost in his thoughts, but before he knew it, it grew dark outside through the windows, and the garage chilled down enough to make him shiver. Even in death he could never escape constantly being cold. Deciding he’d had enough pouting, he started to make his way back to Julie’s house. He didn’t bother poofing there, wanting the extra time to think to walk there. 

He wasn’t even completely out of the garage when he hears a loud hollar, barely having time to brace himself when a heavy weight slammed itself into his chest, laughter trailing behind. 

“Reg! Bro, we were just coming to check on you!” Luke laughed, wrapping his arms around Reggie, a large grin on his face. 

“You were?” Reggie asked, his voice coming out softer than he intended. 

“Of course we were, man, it wouldn’t be family time without you.” Alex gave him a small smile, lightly tapping his fist to his shoulder. 

He isn’t sure what comes over him, but the next thing he knows is that he’s crying, the hot tears running down his cheeks. 

“Oh, Reg…” He hears close to his ear, realizing that Julie has wrapped herself around him and Luke, with Alex’s hand resting comfortingly on his back. 

“Sorry, sorry.” He sniffled, wiping the sleeve of his flannel across his face, 

“No need to apologize, we know holidays were tough.” Alex’s voice comes from behind him, causing Reggie to turn slightly, Julie and Luke turning with him. 

“C’mon man, don’t be the odd man out, get in here.” Reggie gave a hoarse laugh, watching as Alex wrapped his arms around everyone. 

“Holidays were tough,” Reggie starts, looking around him at all of his loving friends, his bandmates, his family. “But I don’t think they will be anymore, I’ve got you guys.” 

“Awww, Reg, gettin’ sappy on us now?” Luke laughed, noogying Reggie’s head. 

“Oh I’m sorry, you’re the sappy one of the group, you can have your spot back.” Reggie joked back. 

“I’ll let this one slide just cause you’re crying, but how DARE you.” Luke leaned in dramatically, before pulling back with a small smile. 

Julie nudged Alex, nodding towards the backdoor of the house to which Alex nodded, pulling away from the group hug gently. 

“Oh, yeah! Ray’s making homemade hot chocolate, Julie and Carlos swear up and down it’s the best, but I wouldn’t judge without my fellow hot chocolate lover.” Alex called behind him as he began his trek to the house. 

“OH! I call the peppermints! Wouldn’t be hot chocolate without mint in it!” Luke tapped Reggie’s chest before running after Alex. 

“You’re a disgrace and disgusting, I can’t believe I’m friends with you.” Reggie hears Alex sass back. He gives a small laugh at his friend's antics, turning to Julie, studying her face for a second before offering her an arm. 

“Miss?” He pretends to tilt an imaginary top hat to her, a comical smirk on his face. 

“What a gentleman.” Julie teased back, giving a sarcastic curtsy before looping her arm through his. She stays quiet for most of their slow walk to the door, before stopping him. “You...you know we’re here for you right? That we love you?” She looks up at him, her brown eyes searching his face, although he wasn’t sure for what. 

“I know, holidays for me were...rough.” He winced slightly. “I know it’ll be different now, that you guy’s won’t hurt me, but it’ll take some time.” He gave her a small smile. 

“I know that, things take time. I just want you to know we’re here if you need us to be during that time. We won’t make fun of you, or be mean. Okay, I won’t, I can’t promise anything for those dorks in there.” Almost as if on queue, Alex and Luke run past the kitchen windows, whip cream cans pointed at each other. 

“You guys are the most important people to me, I couldn’t dream leaving you out of anything.” Reggie laughed. “I don’t think you’d let me leave you out, even if I tried.” 

“Good, that’s what I like to hear.” Julie laughed, giving Reggie a small hug. He held her tightly to his chest, reminding him of how his little sisters used to hug him. Fiercely, like it was their job to protect him from the world, but still so gently, like if they hugged him too tightly he’d shatter and be lost to them forever. He gave his head a gentle shake to brush off thoughts, and gave Julie a small kiss to her forehead. 

“Come on, let’s go show them who the real whip cream spray champions are.” 

“Oh, they are so about to lose!” Julie jumped, quickly making her way inside. “Down on the ground, gimme the can and no one gets hurt!” He hears her yell, he laughs as he pushes the door back open, ready to give this fight his all. 

* * *

Later that night, towels wrapped around them with warm mugs of Ray’s hot chocolate in their hands, the four teens sat squished together on the couch, some rom-com holiday movie they missed playing on the TV. 

“So, fellow hot chocolate lover, how’re you rating it? I’m giving it a ten-outta-ten. Well, for mine at least. Luke’s gets a four people he destroyed perfectly good chocolate flavor with an ungodly amount of peppermint.” Alex gave the guitarist on Reggie’s right a pointed look. Luke squawked indignity and opened his mouth to protest, but Julie was quick to shove a marshmallow into it. 

Reggie watched their antics, hearing Alex laugh from left, Julie’s following closely behind at the opposite end of the couch. Luke finished chewing the marshmallow, but rather than try to argue, he joined in on the laughter. Reggie looked up to see Ray leaning against the doorframe, his eyes just about glittering with joy. Reggie strained his ears the slightest bit and could faintly hear Carlos snoring up in his room. 

“I think…” Reggie looked around at his family surrounding him, once again. A small, content smile found its way to his lips. “Ten out of ten, I don’t know how it could get any better. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on twitter at panasonicgirl13, and on tumblr at panasonicgirl 
> 
> Chapter 6 of Guiltless is still in the works, but to prevent burnout on that story I'm gonna try and follow along with the Advent Event! The prompts are released daily by yuleandthephantoms on tumblr! Go check it out and follow along for yourself if you'd like!!


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